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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · branch · wind · ruler · patient · fan · press · leaves

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. content — the amount
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. content — happy
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. branch — a division
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. press — to push
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wind — moving air
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — newspapers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com